Mid CanterburyAnimal Welfare Centre Donate
Aerial view over green farmland, dark shelterbelts and a turquoise river winding through a gorge, towards the snow-capped Mt Hutt range.

01Netherby, Ashburton Mid Canterbury

Mid Canterbury Animal Welfare Centre

Built by locals, run by volunteers, looking out for animals from the plains to the peaks.

Donate Adopt Volunteer Contact
Follow the river

02Who we are

Built by locals, for local animals.

Mid Canterbury people built this centre, and Mid Canterbury people keep it going.

  1. 2000

    Built by the community

    The centre at 4 Seafield Road, Netherby, was established in 2000 by the late John Keeley, an SPCA inspector. He, Rallou Keeley and the local SPCA committee raised the funds and built it.

  2. 2017

    Our own charity

    It became an independent local charity, registered with Charities Services on 2 October 2017.

  3. Today

    Run by volunteers

    Volunteers run the centre, with a local committee of 5 to 12 people at the helm. New cats arrive at a separate quarantine building.

Our story, register details and accounts

Sheep grazing a wide paddock below a snow-covered mountain range on a clear day. A black and white dog and a tabby and white cat trotting along a gravel path beside a lawn. A black and white border collie standing alert in a green paddock.
Green rolling paddocks with a long fence line, grazing cattle and dark shelterbelt trees below brown hills and a blue sky.

03The cause

Every animal deserves a shelterbelt.

Out on the plains the nor'wester comes hard off the Alps, so paddocks get a shelterbelt: a long row of trees that takes the worst of the wind.

This centre is a shelterbelt for animals. Somewhere out of the weather, to be looked after, to recover and to start again.

“Provide facilities for the care, welfare and rehabilitation of animals. Provide public education of animal welfare and assist with enforcement of Animal Welfare Act.”

Our charitable purpose, as registered with Charities Services
A tall, dense row of pine trees standing behind a flat, open paddock and a fence post. A row of trees bent hard over by a strong wind under a blue sky.
A tan and white dog asleep on the ground with a white cat resting against it.
Aerial view of a wide braided riverbed, grey channels across golden shingle flats, running between dark forested slopes towards snow-capped mountains.

04How we help

Many channels, one river.

The Hakatere, the Ashburton River, runs in braids: lots of channels, all heading the same way. The centre's work runs like that too. Pick a channel.

01 of 05

Care

Facilities at Netherby where animals are looked after. New cats arrive at their own separate quarantine building.

High-country wetlands and tussock flats stretching to a long range of bare mountains under a clear blue sky.

05Ways to help

Lend a hand.

The centre runs on local goodwill. Here are three ways to add yours, and more on the Get involved page.

A black and white sheepdog working across a steep grassy hillside below a line of sheep and distant mountains.

Volunteer

Give some time

The centre is run by volunteers, and new ones are always welcome. Ring to find out how you could help.

How to volunteer
A brown and white farm dog resting its front paws on a weathered timber gate, mouth open.

Adopt

Give a home

Thinking about giving a cat or dog a home? Get in touch to ask about adopting from the centre.

About adopting
A fluffy black and white cat sitting on a rock beside old fence posts and wire.

Donate

Give a gift

Donations help the centre care for animals. To give, get in touch by phone and the team will tell you how.

Ways to give
A gravel road running past green paddocks and a wire fence towards forested hills and high mountains under a cloudy sky.

Find us at the gate

4 Seafield Road
Netherby, Ashburton

Golden tussock and green grass along a small stony stream, below bare mountains and a distant snowy range under a clear blue sky.
A kea, a green alpine parrot, perched on a rock with blurred snowy mountains behind.

06Official partners

A red alpine hut on a snowy, rocky ridge, with a huge snow-covered mountain face behind it in late light.
Crypto donation partner

Premises provided at no cost by Vetlife

Registered with Charities Services, New Zealand, CC56428